Covid-19 testing has started in Care Homes in Oldham

COMMUNITY testing for all care home staff and residents has started in Oldham as the borough becomes one of the first roll out Covid-19 testing in care homes.

The news comes as Oldham Cares, the partnership between Oldham Council and the NHS in Oldham which is responsible for adult social care in Oldham, calls for the public to clap for our carers tonight at 8pm along with NHS staff. The Oldham Civic Centre will be lit blue for the occasion.

All localities across the country are supporting local hospitals and the NHS to maintain sufficient beds for very ill people. As such care homes, home care and social care services across the country continue to provide care to the most vulnerable in our communities.

Councillor Zahid Chauhan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “Our carers across Oldham are doing an incredible job support our most vulnerable people in an incredibly challenging situation.

“This is a hugely worrying time for people in care homes and people who are receiving care across our community.

“We are doing everything we can to support them and to minimise risk, which includes being one of the first areas to roll out Covid-19 testing in care homes. At the same time, we are pulling out all the stops to ensure staff have access to personal protective equipment.

“We hope that people across Oldham will join us in saluting our carers tonight, along with NHS staff, who are doing so much to support vulnerable people. They deserve all our thanks and gratitude.”

Locally Oldham has developed a care home support strategy which includes:

• Community testing for Covid-19, the numbers for which are expanding daily
• Setting up an Oldham distribution centre for PPE kit – ensuring care homes have easier access to vital kit for their staff
• Being in contact with care homes on a daily basis
• Increasing the number of specialists in infection control to work with care homes to tackle any infections in their settings
• Setting up a Covid-19 clinical assessment hub (based at the Integrated Care Centre – next to Oldham Civic Centre) – where doctors and nurses can help care homes look after their residents either directly or virtually via IT equipment given to the care homes.

Author: Jude Gidney - Editor

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